Snowbirds member who died in B.C. crash was in central Alberta skies the day before

Just a day before she was killed in the Canadian Forces Snowbirds plane crash in B.C., Capt. Jennifer Casey was in Rocky Mountain House skies.

Casey and her teammates flew over Rocky Mountain House as part of Operation Inspiration, Rocky Mountain House Mayor Tammy Burke said in a release Monday.

“The team’s flyover brought so much joy to our town, and truly met the Royal Canadian Air Force’s mission to lift the spirits of Canadians and salute front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Burke said.

Capt. Jenn Casey, a public affairs officer, died Sunday when the plane crashed in a residential area of Kamloops, B.C., while on a cross-country tour meant to convey hope during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“On behalf of the Town of Rocky Mountain House council and residents, I wish to offer my deepest condolences to the family of Capt. Jenn Casey, and the entire Canadian Forces Snowbirds team,” Burke said.

The Snowbirds also flew over the City of Red Deer Saturday morning as part of the cross-country tour.

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds make regular appearances at the Rocky Mountain House Airshow, and as such our community feels a special kinship with the iconic Canadian Air Demonstration Team, the mayor said.

Casey, who had been with the Snowbirds since November 2018, is a former journalist who worked as a reporter, anchor and producer at NEWS 95.7 in Halifax.

The jet’s pilot, Capt. Richard MacDougall of Moncton, N.B., survived the crash and is being treated for injuries the military has said are not life-threatening.